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Contents

Personality

Often hotheaded, favoring action over contemplation, Storming Ox was a constant challenge for his old master. But he is also a loyal friend and trusted member of the Kung Fu Council, which protects the citizens of peaceful Gongmen City. Alas, he lost hope when he witnessed the death of his master by Shen's new weapon and surrendered to the peacock's will. However, Shifu broke him and Croc out of jail and somehow managed to convince them to once again fight the good fight.

Role in Film

As a member of the Kung Fu Council, Storming Ox was responsible for protecting Gongmen City alongside his comrade, Master Croc, as well as their mentor, Master Thundering Rhino. One day, a training session was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Lord Shen, the banished heir to the city's throne. All three masters were surprised to see him, but when Shen demanded that they leave the palace, Ox and his allies made it clear that they would protect the city no matter what. Shen replied that he was glad they said that, just as several of his wolf soldiers rolled a large wooden box into the courtyard. When Storming Ox inquired to what was inside the box, Shen explained that it was a parting gift, in that it would literally part them. Outraged, Ox leaped at the peacock, followed closely by Croc. However, Shen was able to defeat both of them before turning his attentions to Thundering Rhino. The more powerful kung fu master was able to beat Shen by destroying his knives, but was effortlessly killed by the object in the box, Shen's cannon. With their master dead and fearing Shen would turn the weapon on the city, both Ox and Croc surrendered and were imprisoned in Gongmen Jail.

Many days later, Po and the Furious Five broke into the jail in an attempt to free the two masters and enlist their aid in defeating Shen. However, neither Ox nor Croc was willing to leave their cell, and no amount of arguing or fighting (courtesy of Po trying to force them out of their cell) changed their minds. Ox once more showed his impressive strength by breaking a bar of the cell, and then forcing the sides of it deep into the wall.

Po and the Five set out to save the city without them, only to return later after failing to defeat the peacock and barely escaping from his falling tower. Storming Ox and Croc had been alerted to the sound of hundreds of wolves making their way through the city, and demanded what Po and the Five had done. They were ultimately ignored while Tigress confronted Po over his letting Shen escape. Storming Ox and Croc witnessed Po refusing to answer, Tigress deciding to leave him in the jail, and the brief fight that followed. Po eventually revealed his reasons for wanting to pursue Shen, and though empathetic, Tigress decided that he remain behind anyway. The Five left Po behind in the jail, entrusting his safety to the two masters. Storming Ox and Croc attempted to reassure Po, but it was no use as the panda followed the Five anyway.

Storming Ox and Croc remained in Gongmen Jail until the night Shen's army was setting sail to invade China. Master Shifu arrived in the city from the Valley of Peace, and after some convincing from, both Ox and Croc finally decided to leave their prison and stop the peacock's plans. They soon reached Shen's armada, where Po and the Five were already fighting the mass army of wolves and gorillas. All nine warriors put up an enormous fight, but were ultimately blasted into the harbor by Shen's cannon. All but Po were too badly injured to fight from that point on. Ox was among the many who witnessed Po use inner peace to evade, deflect and reflect Shen's cannonfire back at his own fleet, destroying it in the process.

After Po defeated Shen, Storming Ox was just as shocked as the other masters as he watched Po hug Tigress. However, he watched the fireworks display that resulted from Shen's destroyed Ship with considerable happiness, as Gongmen City celebrated the kung fu warriors' victory.

After the defeat of Lord Shen, Storming Ox and Croc returned to their positions in the Kung Fu Council ruling over Gongmen City.

Other Appearances

Secrets of the Masters

An alternate backstory for Storming Ox detailed him as a kung fu warrior who spent his days street-fighting in his pursuit of fortune, using his tactical brilliance to aid him in his battles. One day, Ox partook in a three-way-fight with [[

Croc]] and Thundering Rhino, a battle which ended in a complete standstill. The scene was witnessed by Master Oogway, who was unimpressed but soon found an opportunity for the three warriors to change for the better when the Wu Sisters escaped from a nearby prison.

After the fight, the warriors were given a single coin for their three-way-tie, which led to an argument between the three that nearly ended in another battle. Fortunately, Oogway soon appeared before they started fighting. After revealing his identity to the warriors, Oogway gave them the offer to journey to Wu Fortress and recapture the sisters using their special skills. However, the trio refused to join him unless they gained something in return. When Oogway's suggestions of using their skills for honorable reasons did not move the trio, the tortoise was forced to claim that they would be rewarded with a "wealth of riches". Seeing an opportunity to gain immense fortune, Croc finally agreed along with Ox and Rhino.

And so the three set off with Oogway towards the fortress, passing through various obstacles as they went. During the journey, Ox attempted to bargain with Oogway to dump the other two warriors and split the profits themselves. However, Croc and Rhino were doing the same thing, but Oogway ignored their offers. While surrounding a campfire one night, Ox made clear his selfish plans to spend his days counting the money he apparently will earn after completing the quest. After listening to the trio and learning of their respective desires, Oogway gave them some cryptic advice; that when the path one takes always leads back to themselves, they will never get anywhere unless they "change course". Before they could settle for the night, Oogway received news that the Wu Sisters were plotting to unify the gang leaders, and the group set out in order to reach the fortress as soon as possible.

To encourage them to change their ways, Oogway secretly led the trio into an extremely dangerous path called the Bridge of Mists. When the three inquired as to how they would get across, Oogway replied by flinging all three of them into the bridge, forcing them to prop themselves between the two pillars. Oogway then taught them all an important lesson about cooperation, by having crossing the makeshift bridge the three made up, pulling up Rhino as he did so, and then having them all make it across the bridge to the other side, pulling each other up as they went.

Later during the day, the trio and Oogway were climbing up the side of Wu Fortress, where they finally learned that Oogway was being metaphorical about his promised riches. Rhino's protests accidentally got them trapped on a river of lava when his heavy footsteps caused the ledge they were standing on to break away. Oogway managed to get them to safe ground, but fell to his apparent death, leaving them with only the advice "Remember the path." to guide them now.

Dispirited at their loss, the trio tried to find their way home. However, they encountered a village devastated by the Wu sisters' forces, and its citizens desperately attempted to hire them for protection. Moved by the villagers' plight, the trio declined the fee and resolved to stop the Wu sisters for the sake of a higher ideal.

Thus motivated, the trio interrupted the sisters' summit. When the former street-fighters revealed that they were doing this for honor, they intimidated the various visiting gangs into retreating while the sisters fought alone. Although the sisters proved too much to fight alone, as Ox discovered when he was sent flying after being hit by the vortex, Rhino, Ox and Croc managed to combine their talents to defeat them in a coordinated attack. After Ox deduced that the tail knot at the center of the vortex was their weakness, Croc charged at the vortex and brought it to a halt with his tough hide. Croc was able to position the vortex enough for Rhino to charge through the knot and break the sisters apart. The trio then worked together to defeat the separated sisters, eventually trapping them beneath a large statue head.

At the moment of their victory, Oogway reappeared, having captured the rest of the gangs, and praised Rhino, Ox, and Croc for being worthy warriors who had found a higher purpose to fight.

According to Po, after these events Oogway set Ox and his fellow warriors on a journey which eventually led them to Gongmen City where they formed the Masters Council.

Gallery

Trivia

His design originally came from an early villain concept for the first film as part of Tai Lung's army.

Storming Ox was one of the challenging characters to model and animate due to him being a naturally non-upright-walking animal. Modeling supervisor Jason Turner explains that "characters with a heavy upper body and torso have a lot of mass to resolve when their legs come up or they have to sit down. [They] don't stand upright in nature because they aren't equipped with the correct anatomy to do so. Modeling them for our film required intense thinking and testing to find the right balance in their build."